Zion National Park is truly an outdoor temple. One can gain a sense of its vibrantly spiritual character just listening to the names of the park's formations: West Temple, Towers of the Virgin, the Altar of Sacrifice, Angel's Landing, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob Peaks, Mount Majestic, Cathedral Mountain, Mystery Canyon, Mountain of Mystery, Temple of Sinawava, the Pulpit, Weeping Rock, Great White Throne, Mountain of the Sun, East Temple, the Watchman.
The most special aspect of Zion for many is the hike up the Narrows of the Virgin River, where thousand-foot cliffs rise right out of the water and hanging gardens composed of scarlet-colored monkeyflower, yellow columbine, pink shootingstar and maidenhair fern luxuriate in the springs that seep from the walls.
Here, one hikes right in the cool mountain water in intense desert heat within a slot canyon that stretches out for seventeen miles upstream. One feels simultaneously embraced within the womb of Mother Earth, yet open to a vast masculine sky. The abundant orange and white sands contribute their cleansing power, while the brilliant wildflowers and colorful streaked walls towering above jade-green pools provide a sense of optimism and beauty.
Truly, a few days spent at Zion never fail to send the physical and spiritual adventurer home with an attitude of profound joy and hope that overflow into the routines of daily life for a very long time afterwards.
Photo: Cardinal Monkeyflower blooming in a hanging garden in Zion Canyon, Zion National Park, UT; May 27, 2012
No comments:
Post a Comment